Pollution Update 11-29-12

Industrial stormwater discharges are one of the most commonly permitted discharges under the Clean Water Act in Oregon. Statewide, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has permitted about 700 such discharges (with 119 of those discharges in Lane County, and 86 of those Lane County discharges are located in Eugene). Last year, DEQ issued a new industrial stormwater permit that’s generally more stringent than the old permit, and is currently in the process of assigning facilities to the new permit, which includes accepting public comments on stormwater plans. So far, 16 of the 119 Lane County facilities with permitted industrial stormwater discharges have been assigned to the new permit.